My truck is a '97 Ram 3500 diesel dually auto with 160,000 miles and a few mild mods like intake, exhaust and plate.

For you guys with autos, does your torque converter lock up when you hit your speed points no matter what the load on your rig? Or will your pcm not send the TCC short when under heavy load?

For example, mine will always lock on flat ground at 28mph with o/d off and 48mph with o/d on but when travelling up a steep hill it won't lock. Just slips all the way up the hill unless I manually lock it. Is that normal operation for these transmission or is something wrong with that?

My second question is whether or not you guys experience a long delay when dropping your auto down into first gear. When I do, it sometimes takes a whole city block or two before it 'kicks down'. Something tells me that's not right. Please let me know if that's normal as well.

Just had a rebuild and want to make sure they got it right before too much time goes by. Thanks in advance!!

 

It depends on your throttle position, not load although the two could be related if you're giving it more pedal to go up the hill.
It sounds like things are normal but it wouldn't hurt to check/adjust your TPS.
Instructions> http://dodgeram.org/tech/transmissio...TPS_adjust.htm

 

Great tip! After reading all this it seems to be right on point with my problem. I bet my tps voltage is high causing the late (or nonexistent) lockups. It takes alot of throttle on that steep hill.

Is the TC chatter they refer to a noise or an actual chug on the truck?

I will get down in the slush and check it this afternoon

 

treemonkey:

Your tranny sounds like it acting normal. When you shift it into 1st it will not down shift until your speed hit 20mph or below.

 

You guys were right on with the tps and 1st gear issues, thank you. I didn't adjust it up yet but I plan to this weekend. I will move in small increments. Looking forward to even a slightly more aggressive lockup!

Question: I think these instruction for adjusting tps may be conflicting. http://dodgeram.org/tech/transmissio...TPS_adjust.htm

The body of the instructions say, "more voltage makes more TC clutch pressure" while Bill Kondolay says, "as you increase your voltage your OD and TCC lock up will start to come in later and later.

Am I just not comprehending these correctly?

 

Good quesion as the they are related .. but not.

More TPS voltage delays the PCM in allowing overdrive (OD) and finally torque converter clutch (TCC) lock-up.

In all trucks, the throttle is mechanically attached to the TPS as well as the valve body. More throttle means more TPS voltage. It also pulls the cable attached to the valve body that raises line pressure and changes shift points for 1-2 and 2-3 gears. They all work pretty much in harmony until you change the fuel plate and/or get an upgraded valve body.

 

more tp = more pressure but it also changes the timing of the lock up event making it later. these are two different things. tc apply pressure and tc apply timing.

 

Ah, thanks for the explanation. My dillema is with the heavier throttle input it takes to get up a steep hill, I can't get a lockup at all without overriding with my manual switch. Maybe that's by design to preserve the converter?

I just hate the lack of power and heat along with all the noise (straight piped) of high rpms from TC slippage under heavier loads and/or going uphill. When I do lock it, as you all know, she's a whole different animal.

So it sounds like I would want to REDUCE the voltage at the TPS to 'trick' the pcm into locking me up?

 

On level ground mine will lock up at about 50mph, down a hill under light throttle I've had it lock at 45mph. If I'm going up a hill with moderate throttle probably more like 55mph.

I would like mine to lock up a bit sooner as well. I have a Goerend 47re and TC so its not a stock valve body.

 

I have had problems for months with mine. I bought a DTT used from a member on Comp. Diesel and the tranny was supposed to be in good working order. When I recieved it I went ahead and installed it. Well all was good until lock up and the converter slipped like crazy. I called DTT and removed the tranny and conv. and sent it to them, had it completely gone through and upgrades done from when it was built the first time. I was told the pump was damaged and the input was damaged. I recieved it back, I installed it again and the same thing converter would slip during manual lock up. So I called DTT again and they wanted me to send them the super single conv. back . So I pulled the tranny again sent them the conv. waited another 3 weeks again. I recieved it again the same thing, I called DTT again they sent me another valve body. I swapped bodies still the same thing. I don't know what else to do, I can't tell if it is slipping now or just comming unlocked, wish I had never bought the tranny to start with. What would you guys do? Sorry so long Wes. One more thing it will not lock up by my switch it will only hold it
locked.

 

That is hardcore DieselUnlimited, you might not get compensated for all that time but hopefully you end up with a excellent tranny. I'm pretty new to these diesels so this is just a guess but I know if your manual lockup switch is well grounded it will ground that TCC. If that doesn't lock it you know it's not you pcm but something in the tranny or converter...maybe even just a solenoid or sensor? I really don't know. Makes the manual look way more appetizing, doesn't it?

Thanks for the input offroad, yours behaves exactly like mine so I'm assuming this is how they're designed to run. I guess they knew these trannies would fail sooner locking under more load. I think the heat generated when they don't lock but slip xx% all the way up a long hill till the fluid is almost boiling makes them fail sooner. I couldn't believe that would be by design so when I had my a remaned transmission with billet converter installed recently I kept taking it back saying, "it doesn't lock under load" and they kept giving it back saying it runs like it's supposed to.

Unfortunately that was only one small issue with Transmission Experts in Renton Washington...we went back and forth for three months with leaks, failures to shift, failures to lock up at all, overheating, dozens of days of my work truck/daily driver just sitting over there. One time it wouldn't even drive out of their parking lot, LOL. The biggest issue is I still haven't received a diagnostic report for my original transmission, despite asking for it DOZENS of times and making it mandatory before a reman install. Their mechanic called me one day and stated they were pulling my old transmission out and the new one was already there ready to go in! I went right in and asked the owner what was wrong with the old one and he had no idea. In month three I asked him the same question. Same answer. I'm about to contact the last tier in the company, the president. After that, it's google.

 

Sounds like its fine, I probably shouldn't worry about when my TC locks up at all. Since installing the Goerend tranny and TC, the tach only drops about 150-200 rpm when it locks up (not towing). It was more like 750-850 on the stock TC.

Just curious, how much did your reman trans cost? The one I got from Goerend was $3550 plus $375 round trip shipping (I did the install myself). They put in extra clutches and use HP valve bodies so even their standard tranny is rated for towing 20K gross with 400hp on a daily basis.

My original tranny failed when I was on a long trip, check this link to see how Goerend treated me: https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=212052

 

Treemonkey, join up with these guys http://www.nwbombers.com/
Great group of diesel folks in western WA who probably know all about the tranny shop that's screwing you.
You'll like this group.

 

My reman was $2650 but they added an additional $300 without even calling me to authorize the extra work. They 'serviced' my rear differential.

I heard about Dave just after getting this work underway. He offered to help diagnose problems over the phone with Transmission Experts transmission, profit or no profit to him. Needless to say, my next tranny will be his, hands down.

I think that low stall converter matches so well with the peak torque band of these diesels. I too see much lower drops in rpms at lockup and when it does it just pulls super hard through 15, 16, 1700 rpms. The low stall billet is about all I got above stock in my reman which is a total fraud. I honestly don't know what any ratings are in it, they still to this day won't give me that information along with the diagnosis of my original transmission. It's like twilight zone down there.

Thanks for that bombers link infidel!!

 

Well day after a very stern letter to the President of the company the shop called and offered everything I was asking for in time/money compensation and an extended warranty. Still not worth it for me and there's still the nagging issue of a diagnostics which they said again they will have to get for me from this person or that, so there's still not 100% closure, 4 months later. I'm beyond beginning to wonder if there ever were diagnostics.

I'll be on the horn with Dave for a transmission when this one goes out. Thanks all for your input on these 47re's!!!